Before you buy a Hino Dutro Truck in Uganda

by Edwin

Hino Dutro
The Hino Dutro is a light commercial truck shared with the Toyota Dyna, manufactured by Hino Motors. Like the Dyna and its twin Toyoace, the Dutro is built on the U300 platform for standard cab, or U400 platform for the wide cab and offered in many different chassis type suitable for different purposes. The Dutro took over from the earlier Ranger 2 (and Ranger 3), a badge-engineered version of Daihatsu's Delta series. Outside of Japan, it is also known as the '300 series'.

Before you buy a Hino Dutro Truck in Uganda

The HINO DUTRO is almost identical to Toyota’s TOYOACE/DYNA. Like its TOYOTA twin, the DUTRO is a light/medium cab over truck. Nearly all models are powered by a diesel engine (4600cc~4900cc approx.) paired with either a 5 speed manual (KK-XZU307Y) or automatic transmission (KK-XZU312T). One of main features of the DUTRO is the broad range of configurations available for the cargo area. These configurations include van, flat-bad, truck (hydraulic powered), fridge/freezer (for food), container and many more.

Buying foreign used Hino Dutro Truck from a local car bond in Uganda

In case you choose to buy a foreign used truck from a car bond makes life a lot easier to acquire yourself a vehicle. There is basically no need to go to Japan or order for the vehicle from Japan or any other part of the world. In short one just walks to the car bond and arrange for a purchase and within a short time, the car is paid for and handled over to you as the owner.

However, you can also find that some trucks have only cleared the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) fees only. So it would mean that if you want a Hino Dutro Truck then you will have to clear the rest of the taxes. You can find the CIF of the Hino Dutro 1991 Truck (that’s up Kampala from Japan) to be around $ 12,000 or more for latest models in very good condition.

However, the cost of the CIF can change due to year of manufacture, condition of the car, mileage and the dealer. Now the Hino Dutro Truck is more expensive as compared to most the cars we have discussed. In general, the Hino Dutro Truck can cost you around UGX 25,000,000 or even more for a premium class.

Click here to buy a Hino Dutro Truck or Hino Dutro Truck spare parts in Uganda

Importing a foreign used UD PK Truck from Japan

Now this is different from buying from car from the car bond here in Kampala. Some people prefer to import their own cars directly from Japan or from any other part of the world. You have to follow a procedure similar to the one stated below.

Search and select vehicle to buy from Japanese Used Car Portal Websites. Send Inquiry for price, condition, etc of the truck. The Japanese Dealers will respond you directly by Email.

Watch out for fake e-mails as many scams may con you for money. After that you negotiate with the Japanese dealer for a conducive price that fits your budget.

Request for a proforma invoice, place your order and make payment which may be either through bank wire or VISA. The seller will inform you about the following things like the Payment Confirmation, Shipping Schedule, B/L copy, Original Document and then you receive the order in this case the truck.

General 2005 – 2010 Hino Dutro Truck reviews

Design
There aren’t significant exterior differences between the old and the new Dutro generations as the old cab had the same overall appearance as the new one. The 2005 model came with a pretty curvy design and a set of horizontal headlights which enhance the cab’s width. Though, the old radiator grille looked pretty fade, while the simple spoiler wasn’t something to rave about either.

Luckily, the body panels seemed pretty solid and the exterior fittings were well made, as well. The Hino Dutro was also built using a strong U-shaped frame chassis that is ready to endure the abuse of heavy loads without whining and also comes with a superior anti rust treatment.

The cabin was fitted with a wide, panoramic windscreen and a set of generous lateral windows which offer an excellent outward visibility.

Interior
You can climb inside Dutro’s cab pretty easy, thanks to the convenient steps and the smartly placed grab handles. Though, interior looks pretty dull and the dashboard comes with a pretty robust design.

The center stack however, is laid out in an intuitive way and every control is placed within easy reach. We also like the numerous storage places than can be found around and the reasonable overall ergonomy.

As it was expected, the Hino Dutro makes use of low-rent plastic all over the cabin, while the rest of the materials are also part of the third class. On the other hand, the fittings seem pretty well done and the cabin inspires an air of solidity.

Theoretically, the Dutro’s cab can accommodate up to three adults on the first row of seats, but in practice, the third middle passenger will feel cramped, due to the limited shoulder and knee room.

The driver’s seat is pretty rudimentary as well, and offers only basic support. It’s also a bit too flat and hard for our tastes, but at least it won’t heart our back after long journeys.

Fortunately, the all around visibility is nothing short of excellent, as you seat pretty high from the road and you are surrounded by a generous glass area.

The chunky steering wheel looks dated and it’s too thin to offer a proper grab. Though, it’s not all bad news, as it comes with reach and rake adjustments.

The 2005 Hino Dutro cabin was fitted with electric front windows, remote control door locking, driver air bag, radio CD and engine immobilizer.

Click here to buy a Hino Dutro Truck or Hino Dutro Truck spare parts in Uganda

Ride and handling
The Hino Dutro comes with front double wishbones with torsion bar and rear leaf springs. The ride is pretty bumpy when the truck is unladed, but if you’ll put some load at the back, things will drastically improve.

Thanks to its cab over engine configuration and the sharp steering, the Dutro is pretty easy to drive around town. The overall handling abilities however, aren’t the best you’ll find in the segment and body roll is pretty big.

Luckily, the stopping power is decent, as the truck comes with standard anti lock brakes.

Alternatives of Hino Dutro Truck in Uganda

We the Toyota Dyna and Mitsubishi Canter as alternatives you can find in Uganda.

Click here to buy a Hino Dutro Truck or Hino Dutro Truck spare parts in Uganda

Availability of the Hino Dutro Truck spare parts in Uganda

Hino Dutro spares are available in Uganda though they may not be widely spread in the country.

Reasons why people buy the Hino Dutro Truck in Uganda

People in Uganda buy the Dutro for commercial purposes like distribution of light goods like bread, cosmetics e.g Vaseline, lotions among other things.

Our Conclusion

The 2005 Hino Dutro was a pretty basic work truck which comes with a reasonable level of interior features. It’s true that the cabin wasn’t the best you’ll find around, but we liked the overall ergonomy and the solid build quality.

The 3.0 liter engine was perfectly suited for the utilitarian nature of the truck, but the 5 speed manual gearbox needed some serious improvements. The ride and handling aren’t stellar either, but the Dutro is offered at a pretty competitive price and the famous Japanese reliability also works in its favor.

Click here to buy a Hino Dutro Truck or Hino Dutro Truck spare parts in Uganda

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